All good things...

...clearly must come to an end here in DCPS and especially at my school.

*Stop reading now if you don't want to hear a long rant about technology and my school, because right now?  I'm seriously annoyed.*

I have been experimenting with our laptop lab, having 2 of my classes basically conduct their entire class on the laptops.  I believe there are a myriad of benefits from conducting these small classes in this manner including the following:

1. Students get experience taking notes and completing all their assignments on the computer.  This is exactly how colleges conduct their courses now, and it will be even more true by the time these juniors get to college in just under two years.  So if they are good at taking notes, completing outlines and drafts of papers and using the internet actively in class (while also dealing with the temptation to just check their emails, etc.) they will be far more prepared for the modern college classroom.
2. Moving towards an almost paperless classroom.  In my first and third periods we have become almost 100% paperless with students submitting assignments via email and me giving them their grades and feedback the same way.
3. Students have become reinvigorated to complete assignments and then revise them. I have noticed better notetaking; an increase in the level of submitted work for feedback (since we can both have a copy of the work at the same time); and an increase in a few students overall grades.  While this is not universal, it is a very promising start.
   

But now the other teachers are apparently (and I'm actually a little dubious on this front) complaining about the fact that the laptops are located in my classroom since I use them every single day.  Now let me be clear I do not use all of them and I always let the other teachers use them when they ask to, and I tell them to sign up in advance and let me know when they want the whole lab and I'll give up the lab entirely because I will plan around them.  But do they do that?  No.  Do they plan what they're doing?  No.  They generally seem to want them as a filler, like a 'type up your paper' day assignment.  (Sorry but these kids can do that on their own time, school time is for instruction.)

And then when I go to the classrooms that are asking for the laptops and I see what they are doing with them? They're having the kids do dopey research projects where I watch the majority of the kids cut and paste wikipedia pages into their 'research reports' and then watch as they get an A.  There is no analysis, there is no thought, the kids don't even READ what they wrote!  So pardon me if I get a little up-in-arms when they then "demand" that I return the hijacked laptops in their entirety so they can use them.  I'm going to have to figure out how to get at least 5 laptops permanently housed in my classroom that have access to the internet.

AND THAT IS ANOTHER THING.  The only reason they even HAVE the internet on these laptops is because I paid for a wireless router and it broadcasts from my room.  I'm going to have to change that password daily from now on and make sure that only my students sign on each day.  I know it is ungracious but I'm getting sick of getting taken advantage of, and frankly this particular wireless internet connection is something that I paid for and have to work my ass off to keep up and running (there has been a lot of troubleshooting on my side plus teachers interrupting my class to come and help them figure out the internet in their room which they only have thanks to me - which they have not once acknowledged). 

Not only that, the teachers actually get indignant and complain when the internet isn't working perfectly.  They have the audacity to try and make me fix it for their class during my class' time.  That and fix every computer glitch they have (This occurs at least once every 2 weeks and some weeks as often as a couple of times per day).  There are two problems with this.

1. I am not very good at troubleshooting problems on Windows computers.  Internet issues are easy enough but when it comes to getting the projectors to work I am at a loss.  
2. They ask me when my classes are in session and sometimes when I am at the front of the room actively teaching a lesson.  As if my time, and more importantly, my students' time is somehow less important than theirs.  If you want to use the technology troubleshoot it in advance and get it set up in advance.  I'll help when I can but you're on my schedule.  And if you don't like that?  Well then tough, go help yourself.

In the end I have pretty mixed feelings.  I don't mind sharing resources at all, but when I feel that they're not being used appropriately and at the same time that I am being taken advantage of well then I'm not having it.  But the school year is almost done (one half of an advisory left!) so I guess I just have to make it to the end and then readjust for next year.  I know I've been living in luxury getting to use these computers for my assignments but you can't just take them away now that all my classes have adjusted to them.